The US President Donald trump made his first comment on Moscow’s decision to reduce the number of employees of American diplomatic missions in Russia. He noted that this will help to save on salaries, reports Reuters.
“I want to thank President Vladimir Putin, because we are trying to reduce the wage costs and I am very grateful that he released a large number of people,” trump told reporters, adding that “they have no real reason to return to Russia”.
December 29, Washington decided within 72 hours 35 to expel Russian diplomats, as well as close access to two objects of the Russian departmenti. The White house indicated that the measures were “a response to harassment of American diplomats in Moscow from the Russian authorities.”
July 30, Putin in interview to TV host Vladimir Solovyov said that the staff of the diplomatic missions of the USA will be reduced by 755 people.
Earlier the Russian foreign Ministry has offered up to September 1 to reduce to 455 people total number of staff employed in diplomatic missions of the United States in Russia. Adopted by the Moscow measures were a response to the bill to toughen anti-Russian sanctions. “In the case of a new unilateral actions of the us authorities to reduce the number of our diplomats in the U.S. this will be followed by a mirror response,” — said in a statement the Russian foreign Ministry.